Kofi Annan was a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. He was born in Kumasi, Ghana, on April 8, 1938. Annan began his career as an administrative officer with the World Health Organization in Geneva. He later worked for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In 1992, he became the head of peacekeeping operations for the UN.Annans tenure was marked by several achievements, including helping to bring about an end to the Rwandan genocide and working to combat HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Discover the best Poverty, Peace, Time, Human Beings, International, Conflict, World, Security quotes from Kofi Annan, and much more.
Summary
- About Kofi Annan
- Kofi Annan Quotes On Conflict
- Kofi Annan Quotes About The World
- Kofi Annan Quotes On Peace
- Kofi Annan Quotes On Poverty
- Kofi Annan Quotes About Time
- Kofi Annan Quotes On Security
- Kofi Annan Quotes On Human Beings
- Kofi Annan Quotes On International
About Kofi Annan
KOFI ANNAN QUOTES ON CONFLICT
As I travel around the world, people think the only place where there is potential conflict [over] water is the Middle East, but they are completely wrong. We have the problem all over the world. — Kofi Annan
Democracy is, in essence, a form of non–violent conflict management. If war is the worst enemy of development, healthy and balanced development is the best form of conflict prevention. — Kofi Annan
The long–lasting humanitarian impact of these inhuman weapons continues to deny communities the opportunity to rebuild long after the end of the conflicts. — Kofi Annan
Poverty devastates families, communities and nations. It causes instability and political unrest and fuels conflict. — Kofi Annan
From this vision of the role of the United Nations in the next century flow three key priorities for the future: eradicating poverty, preventing conflict and promoting democracy. — Kofi Annan
Sometimes when you take a tough action against one side in the conflict, they see you as part of the conflict and they attack you. — Kofi Annan
Fierce national competition over water resources has prompted fears that water issues contain the seeds of violent conflict. — Kofi Annan
Under international law, the responsibility for protecting civilians in conflict falls on the belligerents. Under military occupation, responsibility for the welfare of the population falls on the occupiers. — Kofi Annan
The number one goal in resolving a conflict is to make sure both sides maintain their self–esteem. You don’t hit a man on the head when you’ve got your fingers between his teeth. — Kofi Annan
The message should be clear, climate change must take its place along those threats like conflict, poverty. — Kofi Annan
No war goes on forever. — Kofi Annan
I think that my darkest moment was the Iraq war and the fact that we could not stop it. — Kofi Annan
KOFI ANNAN QUOTES ABOUT THE WORLD
In their greatest hour of need, the world failed the people of Rwanda. — Kofi Annan
To build a more healthy, peaceful and equitable world the classrooms of the world have to be full of girls as well as boys. — Kofi Annan
Let us all reaffirm our commitment to improving the well–being of families throughout the world. — Kofi Annan
Invite politicians to dinner and let them tell the world how delicious it is. . . . They will proudly go around and say, ‘I ate crickets, I ate locusts, and they were delicious.’ — Kofi Annan
Tolerance, inter–cultural dialogue and respect for diversity are more essential than ever in a world where peoples are becoming more and more closely interconnected. — Kofi Annan
Usually, when you look around the world, people are killing each other, fighting over scarce resources. — Kofi Annan
We need to create a world that is equitable, that is stable and a world where we bear in mind the needs of others, and not only what we need immediately. We are all in the same boat. — Kofi Annan
The international community… allows nearly 3 billion people–almost half of all humanity–to subsist on $2 or less a day in a world of unprecedented wealth. — Kofi Annan
If our hopes of building a better and safer world are to become more than wishful thinking, we will need the engagement of volunteers more than ever. — Kofi Annan
The World is not ours to keep. We hold it in trust for future generations. — Kofi Annan
In an era of globalisation, AIESEC’s programmes have helped young people around the world to develop a broader understanding of cultural socio–economic and business management issues. — Kofi Annan
Let us, above all, be clear that, without a convincing program of debt relief to start the new millennium, our objective of halving world poverty by 2015 will be only a pipe dream. — Kofi Annan
There is no trust more sacred than the one the world holds with children. — Kofi Annan
In a world of plenty, continued suffering is a terrible stain on our conscience. It is inexcusable that we not strive, with every resource at our disposal, to eliminate suffering. — Kofi Annan
In an era of global abundance, our world has the resources to reduce dramatically the massive divides that persist between rich and poor, if only those resources can be unleashed in the service of all peoples. — Kofi Annan
I often quote an African proverb that says: ‘The world is not ours, the earth is not ours, It’s a treasure we hold in trust for future generations.’ And I often hope we will be worthy of that trust. — Kofi Annan
Open markets offer the only realistic hope of pulling billions of people in developing countries out of abject poverty, while sustaining prosperity in the industrialized world. — Kofi Annan
We shall not defeat any of the infectious diseases that plague the developing world until we have also won the battle for safe drinking water, sanitation, and basic health care. — Kofi Annan
I think the world has moved on. — Kofi Annan
Yehudi Menuhin was a citizen of the world in the fullest sense–one whose vision and culture gave him a deep empathy with fellow human beings of every creed and color. — Kofi Annan
KOFI ANNAN QUOTES ON PEACE
Peace is never a perfect achievement. — Kofi Annan
Education is, quite simply, peace–building by another name. It is the most effective form of defense spending there is. — Kofi Annan
We must restore the sacredness of the family as a bedrock of humane values everywhere, in peace as well as in war. — Kofi Annan
Many African leaders refuse to send their troops on peace keeping missions abroad because they probably need their armies to intimidate their own populations. — Kofi Annan
Sadly, a prize for peace is a rarity in this world. Most nations have monuments or memorials to war, bronze salutations to heroic battles, archways of triumph. But peace has no parade, no pantheon of victory. — Kofi Annan
I don’t see a situation where one side will win militarily, take over Syria, and there will be peace and quiet, a clean victory. — Kofi Annan
On this International Day of Peace, let us all honor those who have suffered from violence. Let us hold in our hearts the ideal of peace. — Kofi Annan
Young people should be at the forefront of global change and innovation. Empowered, they can be key agents for development and peace. — Kofi Annan
KOFI ANNAN QUOTES ON POVERTY
To educate girls is to reduce poverty. — Kofi Annan
All our efforts to defeat poverty and pursue sustainable development will be in vain if environmental degradation and natural resource depletion continue unabated. — Kofi Annan
A hungry mind is not free, and I felt if we were really going to make a difference and fight poverty we should at least start with the ability to feed ourselves, and the millions of Africans who don’t have it. — Kofi Annan
Gender equality is more than a goal in itself. It is a precondition for meeting the challenge of reducing poverty, promoting sustainable development and building good governance. — Kofi Annan
If we are to make poverty history, we must have the active participation of States, civil society and the private sector, as well as individual volunteers. — Kofi Annan
KOFI ANNAN QUOTES ABOUT TIME
Microfinance is an idea whose time has come. — Kofi Annan
It’s always a difficult time to be secretary general. — Kofi Annan
No one is born a good citizen or a good democrat or a good leader; it takes time and education. — Kofi Annan
Redundant Thematics
In Kofi Annan Statements
Children are our future and if we use them in battle, we are destroying the future. We must reclaim them, every one of them, one at a time. — Kofi Annan
I hope we do not see another Iraq–type operation for a long time–without UN approval and much broader support from the international community. — Kofi Annan
When economic conditions are difficult, people tend to be less generous and protect themselves; the question of solidarity doesn’t mean much to them at that time. — Kofi Annan
Time and again, when member states and the governments are faced with an insoluble problem, and they’re under pressure to do something, that something usually ends up being referred to the U.N. — Kofi Annan
Education is the great equalizer of our time. It gives hope to the hopeless and creates chances for those without. — Kofi Annan
I think the US and UK thought if they gave a bit more time to Israel, they would crush Hezbollah. But it became very obvious that was an unwinnable war. — Kofi Annan
Most people forget that even in Iraq, by the time the air and no–fly zone was established, the air defence system had been removed through the first Gulf war. All of them had been neutralised. — Kofi Annan
We cannot wait for governments to do it all. Globalization operates on Internet time. Governments tend to be slow moving by nature, because they have to build political support for every step. — Kofi Annan
One has to have the strength of character to say the time has come to move on… unless you are a king. — Kofi Annan
Each crisis is different, has its own specificities, and we need to look at it critically; look at each one in its own terms. — Kofi Annan
KOFI ANNAN QUOTES ON SECURITY
Extreme poverty anywhere is a threat to human security everywhere. — Kofi Annan
Hiv/aids has become much more than a health issue. Hiv/aids is a development issue, it’s a security issue. — Kofi Annan
To go to war without the Security Council will not be in conformity with the Council. — Kofi Annan
Iraq has a new opportunity to comply with all these relevant resolutions of the Security Council. — Kofi Annan
We will not enjoy security without development, we will not enjoy development without security, and we will not enjoy either without respect for human rights. — Kofi Annan
We are not only all responsible for each other’s security. We are also, in some measure, responsible for each other’s welfare. — Kofi Annan
A nation has the right to defend itself, but when it comes to the broader issue of peace and security, the legitimacy rests only with the Security Council. — Kofi Annan
The future of peace and prosperity that we seek for all the world’s peoples needs a foundation of tolerance, security, equality and justice. — Kofi Annan
Unless the Security Council is restored to its pre–eminent position as the sole source of legitimacy on the use of force, we are on a dangerous path to anarchy. — Kofi Annan
Let us continue to work together to develop and nurture in future generations a culture of human rights, to promote freedom, security and peace in all nations. — Kofi Annan
Often we mistake stability, in terms of security and economic activity, to mean a country is doing well. We forget the third and important pillar: rule of law and respect for human rights. — Kofi Annan
KOFI ANNAN QUOTES ON HUMAN BEINGS
For everyone, everywhere, literacy is, along with education in general, a basic human right. — Kofi Annan
Access to safe water is a fundamental human need and therefore a basic human right. — Kofi Annan
Literacy is, finally, the road to human progress and the means through which every man, woman and child can realize his or her full potential. — Kofi Annan
It is my aspiration that health finally will be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for. — Kofi Annan
Education is a human right with immense power to transform. On its foundation rest the cornerstones of freedom, democracy and sustainable human development. — Kofi Annan
We have to choose between a global market driven only by calculations of short–term profit, and one which has a human face. — Kofi Annan
We may have different religions, different languages, different colored skin, but we all belong to one human race. — Kofi Annan
Professional accountants ] should be encouraging companies to enhance their green credentials by switching to renewables, and to respect core labor standards and human rights. — Kofi Annan
It is impossible to realize our goals while discriminating against half the human race. As study after study has taught us, there is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women. — Kofi Annan
Refugees] cannot be stopped, but they can and must be managed better, more humanely, protecting migrants’ human rights whilst accepting states’ rights to control their borders. — Kofi Annan
International law now grants rights to all human beings, not only to citizens. — Kofi Annan
The report [by a UN commission on Darfur] demonstrates beyond all doubt that the last two years have been little short of hell on earth for our fellow human beings in Darfur. — Kofi Annan
Let us work in partnerships between rich and poor to improve the opportunities of all human beings to build better lives. — Kofi Annan
You saw the traumas that people lived through, and wondered what it will take to move us as a human community, as humanity, to help in these dangerous situations. — Kofi Annan
KOFI ANNAN QUOTES ON INTERNATIONAL
Perhaps the single most successful international agreement to date has been the Montreal Protocol. — Kofi Annan
What governments and people don’t realise is that sometimes the collective interest–the international interest–is also the national interest. — Kofi Annan
On this International Literacy Day, let us recall that literacy for all is an integral part of education for all, and that both are critical for achieving truly sustainable development for all. — Kofi Annan
These divisions in the international community–the Syrians bear quite a lot of the blame, but we have enabled it by the divisions between us. — Kofi Annan
Women themselves have the right to live in dignity, in freedom from want and freedom from fear. On this International Women’s Day, let us rededicate ourselves to making that a reality. — Kofi Annan